He claimed menacing texts were also sent to him, including one stating: “I will kill if my s*** is not back.”

The High Court heard how two plain-clothes detectives took him to the arranged safe house in Larne which had been offered by Father Pat Buckley.

But the prosecution said as they arrived just after midnight Bamber and two other men appeared and said they wanted to speak to the alleged victim.

Mr Gillespie said police instead took him to a different ‘place of safety’ and had detained the accused four days later.

The barrister said no arrests had been made during the original Larne incident as officers had not been armed.

Opposing bail, he revealed how the controversial cleric was to have supplied the planned safe house.

“(Bamber) showed Pat Buckley his phone and some sort of tracking device that he was able to track the movements of the injured party’s car,” Mr Gillespie said.

He also disclosed details of a suspected attack at the home of the man’s civil partner.

Windows were smashed, radiators ripped off walls, the attic was ransacked and a laptop computer stolen, the court heard.

During police questioning Bamber claimed he only brought clothes to be washed and ironed at the alleged victim’s home because his wife refused to do his laundry.

The second-hand car dealer also said he had been searching for £5,000 from a car sale, which had been stored at the complainant’s property to stop his wife using it for home improvements.

Stressing that the offences are denied, a defence lawyer said: “Pat Buckley is going to allege this applicant told him they had some type of tracing device on a phone which allowed them to arrive at his door. It does seem to be a totally bizarre state of affairs.”